Legal Assistance for Victims
Active
- Assistance listing
- 16.524
- Agency
-
Offices Boards and Divisions
Department of Justice
- Grant awards
- 1,441 $830,195,802 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- LAV Program
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Block Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
- Formula Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 15-0409-0-1-754
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is funding comprehensive civil and criminal legal services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking through the Legal Assistance for Victims program (CFDA 16.524), with the most recent award disbursed on November 1, 2025.
The program has sustained stable activity over the past five years, averaging approximately 60 awards annually (58 in 2025, 62 in 2024, 63 in 2023, 59 in 2022, 58 in 2021). OVW has distributed $830.2 million in federal funding across 1,441 total awards since the program's establishment in 1998. Recent awards range from $367 thousand to $900 thousand, with typical magnitudes clustering around $600 thousand to $750 thousand per grant. The portfolio is heavily weighted toward Project Grants (92 percent of awards), with smaller shares of Block Grants (7 percent), Formula Grants (1 percent), and Cooperative Agreements (1 percent).
OVW dominates funding, accounting for 1,311 awards and $757.4 million in federal dollars obligated (91 percent of total program funding). A subordinate funding entity, the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Office on Violence Against Women, accounts for 52 awards and $42 million. The remaining four distinct federal funding agencies together contribute less than 10 percent.
Legal assistance encompasses family law, protection order proceedings, immigration matters, employment and housing law, criminal justice advocacy, post-conviction relief, and alternative dispute resolution. Recent awards reflect geographic diversity and strategic focus areas: Cook Inlet Tribal Council providing services across Alaska with emphasis on Alaska Native survivors; Hopeful Horizons serving four rural South Carolina counties; Advocates for Immigrant Survivors and partners providing full legal representation in Greater Houston with 50 percent focus on sexual assault survivors; and the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault providing comprehensive services to sexual assault survivors statewide with 80 percent focus on non-intimate partner sexual violence.
Two opportunities are currently open. The OVW Fiscal Year 2026 Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program (solicitation O-OVW-2026-172580) is due July 31, 2026, and solicits comprehensive legal services projects from private nonprofits, Indian tribal governments and organizations, territorial organizations, and publicly funded organizations such as law schools. The OVW Fiscal Year 2026 Expanding Legal Services Initiative (Expanding Legal Services Initiative embedded within the same FY 2026 opportunity) funds organizations without current legal departments to establish one, drawing on the track record demonstrated by FY 2025 ELSI awards of $367 thousand to $400 thousand.
Eligible applicants must demonstrate a mission and history of providing direct services to abuse survivors. Continuation awards are competitively selected, and applicants must apply through Grants.gov and DOJ's JustGrants system. Financial records must be retained for three years from final expenditure report submission.
Objective and description
- Objective
These grants are for increasing the availability of comprehensive civil and criminal legal services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in matters relating to or arising from the abuse or violence. The goal
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Eligible grantees for this program are private, nonprofit entities, Indian tribal governments and tribal organizations, territorial organizations, and publicly funded organizations not acting in their governmental capacity, such as law schools.
- Beneficiary eligibility
Beneficiaries include public or private nonprofit entities providing legal assistance primarily to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and or stalking and victims of these crimes who receive legal assistance.
- Credentials and documentation
To be eligible for an award under the LAV Grant Program, applicants must certify in writing that they are in compliance with the following statutory requirements: (1) any person providing legal assistance through a program funded under this section- (A) (i) is a licensed attorney or is working under the direct supervision of a licensed attorney; (ii) in immigration proceedings, is a Board of Immigration Appeals accredited representative; (iii) in Veterans' Administration claims, is an accredited representative; or (iv) is any person who functions as an attorney or lay advocate in Tribal court; and (B) (i) has demonstrated expertise in providing legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in the targeted population; or (ii) (I) is partnered with an entity or person that has demonstrated expertise described in clause (i); and (II) has completed, or will complete, training in connection with domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault and related legal issues, including training on evidence-based risk factors for domestic and dating violence homicide; (2) any training program conducted in satisfaction of the requirement of paragraph (1) has been or will be developed with input from and in collaboration with a tribal, State, territorial, local, or culturally specific domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking victim service provider or coalition, as well as appropriate tribal, State, territorial, and local law enforcement officials; (3) any person or organization providing legal assistance through a program funded under subsection (c) has informed and will continue to inform State, local, or tribal domestic violence, dating violence, or sexual assault programs and coalitions, as well as appropriate State and local law enforcement officials of their work; and (4) the grantee's organizational policies do not require mediation or counseling involving offenders and victims physically together, in cases where sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or child sexual abuse is an issue.
- Uses of assistance
The Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program provides an opportunity for communities to enhance legal assistance for victims. Funds may be used: (1) to implement, expand, and establish cooperative efforts and projects between domestic violence, dating viiolence, and sexual assault victim services organizations and legal assistance providers to provide legal assistance for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault; (2) to implement, expand, and establish efforts and projects to provide legal assistance for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault by organizations with a demonstrated history of providing direct legal or advocacy services on behalf of these victims; and (3) to implement, expand, and establish efforts and projects to provide competent, supervised pro bono legal assistance for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, except that not more than 10 percent of the funds awarded under this section may be used for this purpose.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Information regarding length of awards will be included in an annual notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the program. Funds are released on an as-needed basis to the grantee.
How to apply
- Application procedure
Applicants must apply through the on-line Grants.gov portal and the Department of Justice's JustGrants System.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Criteria for award selection is specified in the program notice of funding opportunity (NOFO).
- Award procedure
Upon approval by the Office on Violence Against Women, online notification is sent to the applicant agency. The Authorized Representative must accept the award online.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Applicants will be notified by the end of the fiscal year.
- Renewals
Continuation grant awards are competitively selected and determined on a case-by-case basis.
Grant opportunities
Show all 18
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 1,441 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victim Rights Law Center Inc. | $11,297,922 | 1% |
| 2 | Ayuda | $6,468,967 | 1% |
| 3 | The Tahirih Justice Center | $6,069,416 | 1% |
| 4 | Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Inc. | $5,533,158 | 1% |
| 5 | Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault | $5,276,000 | 1% |
| 6 | Alaska Network On Domestic Violence And Sexual Assault, Inc. | $4,910,594 | 1% |
| 7 | Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence And Sexual Assault | $4,906,435 | 1% |
| 8 | South Dakota Network Against Family Violence And Sexual Assault, Inc. | $4,889,149 | 1% |
| 9 | Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence Inc. | $4,847,827 | 1% |
| 10 | Hope House, Inc. | $4,622,444 | 1% |
10 of 439 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | -$643,794 |
| FY2025 | $38,953,841 |
| FY2024 | $40,987,273 |
| FY2023 | $42,440,432 |
| FY2022 | $35,161,868 |
| FY2021 | $35,762,354 |
| FY2020 | $36,324,931 |
| FY2019 | $34,743,839 |
| FY2018 | $40,238,203 |
| FY2017 | $33,848,142 |
| FY2016 | $36,120,181 |
| FY2015 | $31,470,786 |
| FY2014 | $21,302,933 |
| FY2013 | $28,593,612 |
| FY2012 | $28,145,125 |
| FY2011 | $32,870,180 |
| FY2010 | $39,921,048 |
| FY2009 | $30,597,295 |
| FY2008 | $28,701,342 |
| FY2007 | $32,201,088 |
| FY2006 | $25,392,913 |
| FY2005 | $34,837,317 |
| FY2004 | $28,775,082 |
| FY2003 | $33,647,704 |
| FY2002 | $32,853,786 |
| FY2001 | $26,948,321 |
Show all 26
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 16.524?
Assistance Listing 16.524 is Legal Assistance for Victims, a federal grant program run by Offices Boards and Divisions (Department of Justice).
What is the CFDA number for Legal Assistance for Victims?
Its CFDA number is 16.524: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 16.524 awarded?
1,441 grant awards under 16.524 have obligated $830,195,802 in federal funds to 439 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 16.524?
The recipients obligated the most under Legal Assistance for Victims are Victim Rights Law Center Inc. ($11,297,922), Ayuda ($6,468,967) and The Tahirih Justice Center ($6,069,416).
How much did 16.524 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 16.524 obligated $38,953,841 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 16.524?
No opportunity listed under 16.524 is open now. The latest, OVW Fiscal Year 2026 Legal Assistance for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Stalking, and Sexual Assault Grant Program, was posted on June 4, 2026.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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